


Chemical Reaction

by LunarSpecter93



Category: I'm the Grim Reaper (Webcomic)
Genre: F/M, Feels, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Shipping, Tsunderes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:47:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,479
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26239594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunarSpecter93/pseuds/LunarSpecter93
Summary: A few weeks after the near-fatal alleyway incident, Chase is looking for a way to prove to Scarlet just how sorry he is for his manipulative past actions. He decides that a return trip to the amusement park is the best way to do just that...but with their relationship continuing to grow, could something else come out the trip?
Relationships: Chase Carter/Scarlet | Grim Reaper
Comments: 9
Kudos: 66





	Chemical Reaction

It’s been a few weeks since the alleyway incident that left Chase beddridden and although it was slow-going at first, things have slowly returned to the everyday normal for Scarlet and Chase. Hanging out in his apartment and playing Fatecraft by day, and hunting down a criminal from the police database for the daily sinner by night.

However, despite this return to normal, something has still been weighing heavily on Chase’s mind.

To Chase, Scarlet has without a doubt become the most important person in his life. His best - and only - friend. Lately he’s felt that the apology he had offered her when he first woke up from his coma just wasn’t sufficient; especially for how horribly he had manipulated her in the past. 

Wise men say that people’s intentions can be judged better by what they do than what they say, so Chase wanted to make it up to her and truly apologize for his past actions. Over the past few days Chase had been struggling with what that apology would even be or how he’d go about bringing it up to her. But today, he just might have an idea on how to do so...

_________________________________________

Chase gave his glasses one last wipe before he placed them back on his face and looked at himself in the mirror. He sighed. If she said “no” to his plan, he’d look like a total idiot. Chase rarely dresses casually, yet here he was. Out of his normal “detective outfit” (as Scarlet sarcastically calls it), and in the only pair of jeans and non-embarrassing cat-themed hoodie he owns. She might be oblivious at times, but she’ll clearly know he’s up to something. 

“FUCK!” 

The shout was followed by the sound of Scarlet yet again violently slamming his keyboard.

Chase walked out of the bathroom and found Scarlet hunched over at the desk, her head resting on the keyboard. The detective leaned against the doorway and gave her a smirk. “You know, you’re going to break my keyboard one day if you keep doing that.”

Without lifting her head, Scarlet raised one of her hands above her head - a black rectangular object in her grip. “Too late.”

Chase stared at the object in her hand for a few seconds. “You….broke my space bar.”

Scarlet lowered her hand, but still didn’t look up. “Sorry, Chase.”

Anyone could’ve taken note of the sincerity in her voice. Chase couldn’t help but smile at the genuine regret in her tone. He brushed his fingers through his hair as he let out a small laugh. “Hey, don’t worry about it. That keyboard was getting old anyway.”

Scarlet peeked over at him and when her gaze landed on his attire, she lifted her head. “Are you going somewhere?”

“Actually…” Chase met her eyes. “I wanted to see if you want to go to the amusement park today.”

The reaper’s eyes lit up instantly and an excited smile spread across her face. “Sure!”

Chase smiled. “In that case, I’ve got a little something for you.”

He walked over to his dresser and rummaged through the drawers. When he turned back to her, he was holding a bundle of unfamiliar clothes in his hands. 

“I-I had these delivered a few days ago. I figured you might want to dress in something a little more...normal...for once.” The slightest of blushes graced on his face. 

Scarlet blinked at him, taken aback by the gesture. She ducked her head as she stood up. Even as she crossed the room and stood in front of him, her bangs hid most of her face.

She tentatively took the clothes from him. With her bangs hiding her face, he couldn’t tell what her reaction was as she shifted through each of the articles of clothing. There were only a few pieces of clothing, but she took a few seconds to admire each of them individually.

She paused, a hand raising up to wipe at her eye under her bang. “T-thanks, Chase.”

Chase flushed and turned around to face the apartment’s entrance, a hand reaching up to rub the back of his neck as he walked forward. “I-it’s no problem. Now go get changed so we can go.”

Chase heard a soft “ok” come from the reaper, before he heard the click of the bathroom door closing.

The detective paused a few steps away from the apartment door, his back to the rest of the living space. He ducked his head. He could still feel that flush present on his face. He took a deep breath and let out a slow exhale.

He’d be lying if he said this trip wasn’t serving a double-purpose. He indeed wanted to show Scarlet that he was sorry for all of his past actions; but more than that, he’s noticed a...change...in his thoughts regarding the reaper. They may have been there for a while, he wasn’t quite sure, but since he woke from his coma he’s kept true to his word of not ignoring the emotional side of himself. He’s always found Scarlet’s genuity refreshing and endearing, but seeing the usually stoic grim reaper’s concern for his health - to the point of continuously dropping everything to aid him - had started to awaken feelings in him that he thought were long dead. The same pain and fear that drove him to suppress those feelings in the first place still lingered in the back of his mind, but he intended to stay true to his promise of being honest with her. He was going to use this trip to tell her about this new development.

Chase jumped as he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Woah!” He turned to find Scarlet with an amused expression on her face, her hands raised defensively between them. “Someone was lost in thought. I called your name a few times but you didn’t respond.”

Chase’s eyes widened slightly in surprise as he glanced over his friend’s outfit. She wore a slightly baggy black hoodie that had simple red accents in the stitching and sleeves, the hood already pulled over her head to cover her horns. With it, she wore a pair of dark-blue jeans that he was surprised fit in perfectly with her usual boots. She still had that ‘goth-aesthetic’ that fit her so well, but she looked shockingly normal - if not a little….cute.

“I see the clothes fit you well. T-they look good.”

“Yeah…” Scarlet gave a shy smile and tugged at the neck of the hoodie. “They fit perfectly. Thanks, again.”

Chase smiled at his friend. “Are you ready to go?”

With a nod from his friend, Chase opened the door for her and they both left his apartment. 

Although the amusement park was located quite a distance from his place, there was no public transportation that went directly there. They would have to walk the distance. As they started heading down the street, they fell into a comfortable silence as they walked side-by-side.

About 10 minutes into their journey, that silence was broken by Scarlet, wishing to start a conversation to take up the time.

“So…why did you suddenly ask if I wanted to go to the amusement park?”

“Uh, well…” Chase scratched at the back of his head as they kept pace. “I wanted to make it up to you, for all those manipulative things that I did in the past.”

“Chase, I already told you a while ago that I forgave you. I meant what I said.”

Chase glanced as his friend. “I know you did. You’re always so sincere...which is why I want to go back. I wasn’t sincere back then.”

Chase looked back forward. “I could tell you really enjoyed yourself last time, but I feel like I’ve tainted those memories by revealing my true intentions that day. I owe you a more genuine experience.”

Scarlet surveyed him for a minute as they continued on their journey. “There’s really no chance of convincing you otherwise, is there?”

Chase smiled at her. “Nope!”

They continued on in another comfortable silence for a few more minutes.

“You know…” Chase could hear the jesting tone in her voice. “I bet it wasn’t even your actual birthday that day.”

“Hey!” Chase feigned offense, but couldn’t help the smile that slipped through. “I’ll have you know that it actually was. I turned 27, thank you very much.”

“Sure…” Scarlet smirked at him. 

However, that smirk shifted into a bright smile as they rounded a corner and the entrance to the park came into sight.

Scarlet bolted off towards the entrance, Chase attempting to keep up after her with a smile on his face. When Chase caught up to Scarlet, she was staring blankly at a map of the amusement park.

“So how does this work?”

Chase smiled. “Well, I figured we could start with some lunch, but this time you’ll get to pick the rides.”

Chase turned to the map and pointed out what the ride options were. Scarlet, of course, wanted to go on all of the more exhilarating rides. Which he didn’t mind, despite those not being his favorite….just so long as they were still able to do the one ride he wanted to revisit. 

The ferris wheel.

_________________________________________

“Thank you.” Chase grabbed the cotton candy from the merchant and turned back towards the main body of the fair, searching for his friend.He found Scarlet a little ways away, watching the riders on the roller coaster they just got off of. She was distracted and didn’t notice as he walked up beside her.

“Hey, I got you something.” 

Scarlet turned around and her eyes lit up when she noted the treat in his hands. Chase smiled and extended the treat out to her. “Eat it slowly this time.”

Scarlet gave a dismissive eye-roll as she grabbed the treat out of his hands and proceeded to take a bite. Smiling in bliss.

Chase enjoyed these moments where she was genuinely happy, so he couldn’t help the soft smile that spread across his face in return. Chase noted something behind his friend and his eyes brightened as he recalled some of the memories from their previous visit.

“Hey, come on!” For once, Chase acted without thinking and reached for his friend’s empty hand. He started to pull her down the row of stalls. “There’s one ride we haven’t done yet.”

“Wah-” Scarlet stumbled as Chase pulled her along. Her half-eaten cotton candy falling from her hands to the ground. 

They both stopped in their tracks, Chase letting go of her hand, and stared at the treat. Chase looked up at his friend. “Sor-”

He was cut off as she burst out laughing. “It’s fine! Why are you always so serious?! We can just get more later.”

Chase smiled at her. “You’re right.” Chase leaned over to pick up the fallen treat and walked over to dispose of it in the nearest receptacle.

He returned to his friend and shyly gestured in the direction they were headed. “Let’s keep going.”

Chase was close by her side as they neared the ferris wheel. When it became obvious that that was where he intended to take her, he noticed that there seemed to be an added spring in her step. Eventually, it seemed like the reaper couldn’t contain her eagerness anymore. She let out a small squeal of excitement as she unexpectedly reached for his hand and dragged him towards the boarding area for the ride. He found it endearing that something so simple made her so excited, and he couldn’t help but smile as he was pulled along.

The minute they were seated and Chase heard the click of the door being secured for their passenger car, he felt the rush of dread as his fear of heights kicked in. He instinctively scooted closer to his friend, their shoulders just barely brushing, and he ducked his head - avoiding raising his eyes above the floor of the car.

He felt the weight as his friend just slightly leaned into his shoulder. 

“Hey, are you ok?”

Ocean blue raised to meet ruby red, and when they did, Chase felt his anxiety drain away. This…had never happened before.

“Y-yeah,” He flashed her a small smile, and added under his breath. “Surprisingly I am.”

They felt the momentum of the car started to slow. It stopped close to the wheel’s peak, giving them another beautiful view of the cityscape. It was late in the day, and the setting sun cast a surreal golden glow that reflected against the cityscape and settled around their surroundings.

Scarlet was raptured by the view. A soft smile gracing her lips as her eyes surveyed the horizon. But for Chase, there was a different view entirely that captured his attention.

Something about this moment just felt...right. There wouldn’t be any other time in the day that was more appropriate to say what needed to be said. He steeled himself, his eyes not leaving her face, and spoke up.

“Scarlet…” Her attention turned to him when she heard her name, “listen, there was a reason I brought us here. I know I mentioned it before, but I wanted to prove to you that I was sincere in my apology for manipulating you in the past. I wanted us to genuinely have fun together this time - no underlying intentions, no manipulation, no -”

“Chase, stop.” Chase hadn’t noticed that he was starting to raise his voice in frustration. “I’ve already told you, you don’t need to apologize for anything. You keep acting like your past actions are going to drive me away.”

She paused, taking a deep breath before diverting her eyes slightly from his and continuing. “Sometimes I think you forget who I am. I was just as manipulative when we first met. You were just a tool for restoring my memories. I was going to dispose of you when we were done. If anything, I feel like I should owe you. Despite all that you’re still the one who showed me what it means to be human.”

Chase gazed sadly at her as she spoke. This girl never seems to see her own worth. He brought up a hand to gently cup her face, guiding her eyes back to his. 

“Scarlet, I feel the need to apologize because I don’t think you realize just how important you are to me. I-I didn’t even realize it myself until fairly recently.”  
He searched her eyes before continuing. 

“Case X pulled me out of a very deep depression. It gave me a goal - a reason to live - when I had none other. It was my path to redemption. It consumed my thoughts, my daily actions. It became the most important thing in my life....and remained so for a very long time...but lately, I’ve found it’s been replaced with something else...

“Scarlet...you have become the most important thing in my life.”

Chase could feel the blush present on his face, but Scarlet was sporting one that was just as bright. 

“I-I…” Scarlet fumbled for words, but failed to find any. She resolved to just staring at him in wide-eye astonishment.

Chase felt a shattering embarrassment creeping up in the back of his mind, but he couldn’t find the resolve to look away. Being this close to her allowed him to see all the emotions flickering in her mind through her eyes. 

“...you’re important to me too.” 

The words were so small. Barely above a whisper. But he heard them.

“...what?”

The astonishment that was in her eyes turned to a gentle compassion. 

“You’re just as important to me, Chase. I…I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

Chase found himself captivated by her ruby eyes and the soft expression on her face. He felt a warm feeling rise up within him. Before he even knew what was happening, he found himself leaning in closer.

Scarlet’s eyes grew wide and she drew back suddenly, startled. “W-what are you doing?”. 

Chase felt embarrassment overtake him, a fierce blush overtaking his face. He pulled his hand away from her face and looked away, attempting to hide his blush. “....nothing.”

“You’re blushing...”

“N-no, I'm not-”

Scarlet smirked at him. “I can give you something to actually blush about.”

Scarlet grabbed the front of hoodie and pulled him in. 

“Huh-”

Scarlet kissed him roughly.

Chase’s mind froze upon contact. Failing to process just what was happening.

He felt Scarlet relax into the kiss, and the touch of her lips on his turned gentler. It was with this transition that functionality finally returned to his brain and he leaned slightly into her, returning the kiss. 

Emotion over took his mind as he deepened the kiss, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her closer to him. 

Lost in the moment, neither of them were sure how long the kiss really lasted but the click of the passenger car’s door being opened pulled them both out of the moment. In sync, the both turned toward the source of the noise, still entangled in each other’s arms.

To equally bright flushing faces met the embarrassed expression of the Ferris wheel attendant holding the door open. 

As the heat of the moment faded from their minds, they realized what was happening. In a scramble, they pulled apart and exited the car. Both blushing fiercer than they were before, if that was even possible.

They stood close together by the ride’s exit - an awkward silence developing between them as they avoided each other’s gaze.

“S-s-s-s-s-so...” Chase felt equal parts nervousness, embarrassment, and...relief...flood his mind. “T-t-that happened.”

Scarlet let out a small choking sound. “.....it d-did.”

Chase cautioned a peek over at the reaper through his bangs. She apparently had the same thought as he caught a glimpse of red peeking out from under her thick bangs.

“D-did you mean it?”

He noted something flicker across her face and she raised her head a little more. There was the slightest hint of smirk on her lips.

“Did y-you?”

Actions speak louder than words. This is the phrase that led him to bring her to the amusement park again as a form of apology in the first place. Now, it’s placed him in an entirely different situation. 

All signs of nervousness and embarrassment faded from his mind. Confidence and determination took over instead. He raised his head to look her square in the eye. 

“Yes.”

The smirk stayed lightly on her lips as mixed powerful emotions flickered across her face. The smirk fell though as a hand came up to run at her eye...and came away wet. She looked at it in confusion as tears started to well up in her eyes.

“....w-what is happening?”

Chase recognized the emotions flickering across her face, even if she didn’t. He himself hadn’t felt them in a long time, but he was feeling them now as well. He smiled softly and approached her so that he stood directly in front of her.

A hand reached up to gently guide her face up to his, the other hand gently brushing the tears from her eyes.

“A powerful emotion that occurs when you form a deep connection and attachment to someone.” A memory from their shared past crossed his mind and he gave her a small smirk. “A chemical reaction.”

She looked at him in confusion, until it seemed to click what he was referring to. An amused smile rose to her lips. 

“So you remember that, huh?”

He smirked mischievously and rested his forehead against hers. 

“You don’t seem to be reasoning yourself out of it.”

She smirked back. 

“I don’t want to.”

Chase couldn’t resist it anymore. He leaned in and captured her lips with his. She returned the gesture, their lips moving together.

After a moment, he drew back, closing the kiss off, but immediately pulled her into a tight hug. He felt her arms snake around his torso and grip tightly at the back of his hoodie. Her head nestled into his chest. He closed his eyes and rested his chin on the top of her head.

When they first met, neither of them would've ever predicted they’d grow to be this important to each other. Neither of them thought they had a reason to develop an attachment to someone. And especially, neither of them thought they'd ever be in a predicament where they’d show physical affection towards the other.

But as Chase has once said, ‘Things have changed...a lot’. Now neither of them would trade what has developed for anything else in the world.

They stayed like that in each other’s for a while. The sun had long since set and they had lost track of time. Park employees were starting to close up shop around them.

“We should probably head home.”

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfic was a community effort. Big thanks to the ITGR fan discord community that helped brainstorm and build this fanfic! This thing would’ve never came together without all your contributions.
> 
> The following Discord users contributed to this fanfic:  
> @、(≧▽≦*)o  
> @marabean  
> @zee ☆ or @znow  
> @aska -scarrot fan-  
> @Xx_Profanity_Username_xX  
> @beans  
> @Julie  
> @xx n i k a x x  
> @SnoCone  
> @LunarSpecter
> 
> Our apologies if we missed any names of folks who chimed in!


End file.
